Liturgy Pacific is the on-line presence of Richard Geoffrey Leggett, Rector of Saint Faith's Anglican Church in Vancouver and Professor Emeritus of Liturgical Studies at Vancouver School of Theology. Here you will find sermons, comments on current Anglican and Lutheran affairs and reflections on the need for progressive orthodox Christians to re-claim our place on the theological stage.

12.1
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go
from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will
show you.

2
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your
name great, and you will be a blessing.3
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all
peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

4
So Abram went, as the Lord had
told him; and Lot went with him.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.

Thanks
be to God.

The Psalm

Psalm
121 with refrain from Songs for the Holy One.

Refrain
(sung twice):Our help comes from the Holy One.

1 I lift up my eyes to the
hills; *

from
where is my help to come?

2My help comes from the Lord, *

the maker of heaven and earth.

3 The Lord will not let your
foot be moved *

and
the One who watches over you will not fall asleep.

4Behold, the One who keeps watch over Israel *

shall neither slumber nor sleep.

Refrain:Our
help comes from the Holy One.

5 The Lord, the Lord, watches
over you; *

the
Lord is your shade at your side,

6so that the sun shall not strike you by
day, *

nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord shall preserve you
from all evil *

and
shall keep you safe.

8The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in, *

from this time forth for evermore.

Refrain:Our
help comes from the Holy One.

The Second Reading

A reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans (4.1-5,
13-17).

4.1
What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh,
discovered in this matter? 2
If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about — but
not before God. 3 What does
Scripture say? “Abraham believed God,
and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

4
Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an
obligation. 5 However, to the
one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is
credited as righteousness.

13
It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise
that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by
faith.14 For if those who
depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15
because the law brings wrath. And where
there is no law there is no transgression.

16
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be
guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring — not only to those who are of the law
but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom
he believed — the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things
that were not.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.

Thanks
be to God.

Hymn before the Gospel

‘Prepare the Way of the Lord’Common
Praise #107 (with
repeat)

The Gospel

The Lord be with you.

And
also with you.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to John (3.1-17).

Glory
to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

3.1
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish
ruling council. 2 He came to
Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come
from God. For no one could perform the
signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

3
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless
they are born again.”

4
“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into
their mother’s womb to be born!”

5
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God
unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but
the Spirit gives birth to spirit.7
You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it
pleases. You hear its sound, but you
cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

9
“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10
“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these
things? 11 Very truly I tell
you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still
you people do not accept our testimony. 12
I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will
you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven
except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the
snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that
everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son
into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

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About Me

Richard is a presbyter of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster with a number of responsibilities. He is Rector of Saint Faith's Anglican Church in Vancouver. Richard is also the Principal Consultant for Liturgy Pacific, a worship consultancy providing educational seminars and resources for congregational life and ministry. After 23 years as a member of the faculty of Vancouver School of Theology, Dr Leggett became Professor Emeritus of Liturgical Studies in 2010. Since 1989 Dr Leggett has served on various national committees of the Anglican and Evangelical Lutheran churches in Canada and is a regular participant in the work of the International Anglican Liturgical Consultation. From 2010 to 2016 he was a Member of the Liturgy Task Force of the Anglican Church of Canada.